1. Writing for a computer screen is not the same as writing for the printed page.

2. Writing is more difficult to read on screen than it is on the printed page.

3. Readers commonly scan text on screen, rather than reading it.

4. If a document contains a lot of text, many people will print it and read it separately.

5. Many people do not like scrolling through long documents.

6. It is often said that no document should be longer than three times the depth of one screen.

7. Instructions should be task-oriented and should emphasise how to do things, step-by-step.

8. Provide examples wherever possible. Users find it easier to follow examples, rather than determine what to do from generalised description.

9. Write approximately 50 per cent of the text you would use for the same material in print. Be brief.

10. Writing on screen should be broken into small chunks or paragraphs.

11. Short sentences and instructions are easier to understand.

12. Where a number of examples are called for, use numbered or bulleted lists if possible.

• first example
• second example
• third example

13. The items in a bulleted list should be as brief as possible, and the statements should all follow the same grammatical form.

14. That is, they can all be questions, all statements, or all instructions - but they should not be grammatically mixed.

15. Use simple language and simple sentence construction. Complex language and constructions are harder to read on line than in print.

16. Use titles, headings, and sub-headings to identify the structure of a page.

17. Avoid using continuous capitals and underlining to show emphasis or the importance of a statement. CAPITALS AND UNDERLINING MAKE READING MORE DIFFICULT.

18. Avoid complex punctuation which might lead to ambiguity and fuzziness. It is possible to punctuate most writing using only the comma, the full stop, and the paragraph.

  Now go back to - What should I do now?

Writing for Headstart